Abstract
This dissertation discerns a distinct approach to theological thinking shared among three twentieth-century Jewish thinkers: Mordecai Kaplan (1881-1983), Hans Jonas (1903-1993), and Arthur Green (born 1941). This approach, which I call theistic naturalism, suggests an alternative to both scientific naturalism and supernatural theism. Working within diverse intellectual schools from pragmatism to phenomenology to mysticism, the three thinkers in question propose religious worldviews that seek to incorporate the divine into an expansive conception of nature. Their differences notwithstanding, they share a temper and spirit that includes liberal sensibilities, commitment to reason and scientific inquiry, an understanding of religious and moral experiences as authentic sources of knowledge, and an emphasis on divine immanence and on the moral nature and function of Judaism. Their theistic naturalism calls for radical re-interpretations of Jewish tradition, including a rejection of supernatural theism in favor of naturalistic conceptions of God.
The dissertation further demonstrates how by stretching the conception of nature beyond scientism and materialism, Kaplan, Jonas, and Green were motivated not merely by the desire to retain intellectual integrity but also by a profound moral sensibility that acknowledges the importance of an activist and responsible humanity. By insisting on a sense of transcendence and mystery, their theistic naturalism seeks to restore a sense of wonder, reverence, and epistemic modesty toward the world of nature. In so doing, it seeks to serve as an antidote to modernity’s hubris, manifested in its claim for human self-reliance, emphasis on individualism, and myopia regarding modern technology’s destructive capabilities. The dissertation concludes that theistic naturalism ultimately pursues the re-enchantment of the natural world.